Download The Sentence

Sublect and P.odlc.le
chaoter
>
29
aboui which something is being said. The predicate is
ihat part which says something about the subiect.
2
subiacl
Ptedicote
The most dangerous saltwater fish I is probably the great
barracuda.
nftdicotc
subiect
The Sentence
Sleek and sharp-eyed are I the members of this species'
Subjects, Predicates, and Complements
All West Indian divers I fear the attack of the barracuda'
In speech, we often leave out parts of our sentences. For example, we often answer a certain kind of
question in a few words, not bothering to speakin sentences.
"Why was Angela Iate?"
"Car trouble.
"Really?"
"
"Yes."
When we write, however, our words have to convey the
whole message. Our readers cannot hear us, and if they do
not understand, they cannot ask for a repetition. Therefore, when we put our thoughts on paper, we are expected
to express them in complete sentences. Before we discuss
all that can go into a complete sentence, we must review the
definition of a sentence.
2a. A sentence is a group ot words containing a sublect
and verb and expresslng a complete thought.
The two parts of this definition are closely related, To
express a complete thought, a sentence must refer to someone or something (the subject), and it must tell us something
subject
Predicale
EXERCISE 1. Find the subject and predicate of each of
the following sentences. If your teacher directs you to copy
the sentences onto your paper' draw one line under the
complete subject and ,wo lines under the complete predicate. Keep in mind that the subject may come after the
predicate.
The fabric known as batik has an interesting history'
2. The dyeing of batik became an art in Java more than a thou-
l.
sand years ago.
3. The sarong of a Javanese girl frequently represents many
hours of labor.
4. Javanese can read in its intricate design volumes of information about the wearer.
5. one design might tell them of her family, her village' and her
tribe.
6. They might leam from another her family connectiors and the
respect due her.
7. The finest batiks have a soft, creamy tone unknown in West'
ern fabrics.
tl. The design is painted on the cloth with wax.
9. The waxed part of the fabric resists the dye in the vat'
about that person or thing. This job of telling about something is done by the predicate, which always contains a verb.
10. Boiling removes the wax and leaves the design'
SUBJECT AND PREDICATE
The Siimple Pedlcate and the Complete Predbate
2b, A sentence consists o, two parts: the subiect and
lhe predicate. The subject ol the sentence is that part
'l he predicate of a sentence is that part which says something about the subject. This part is Properly called the
28
30
<
The Sentence
complete predicare. Within the complete predicate, there is
always a word orword group that is the "heart" ofthe predicate. It is essential because it is the key word in completing
the statement about the subject. This word or word group
is called the simple preclicate, or verb.
2c. The principal word or group of words in the complete predicate is called the simple predicate, or lhe
uerb.
EXAMPLES Dolphins communicate
with each other by
Some of the players were disappginted by the news.
'fhroughout the rest of this book, the simple predicate is
rclerred to as the verb.
FjXERCISE
I
high-
pitched whistles and grunts. lcomplete predicate:
communicate i,ith eachother by high pitchedwhistles
and grunts; vefb communicotel
A
of
flashlights blinked in the distance.
lcomplete predicate: bllnked in the distance; verb'.
couple
blinkedl
Often the simple predicate, or verb, will consist of more
than one word. It will be a verb phrase like the following:
are walking, wiLl walk, hus walked, might have v.,alked, etc.
When this is so, do not forget to include all parts of a verb
phrase when you are asked to pick out the simple predicate
of any sentence.
EXAMPLES Has Jane arrived
ln 1608 a Dutch makerof spectaclesheldtwoordinarylenses
in his fingers.
ldly. he stared through one of them at a nearby church
'
\teeple.
t lhe steeple, ol course, appeared smaller.
I lhe man sighed with boredom.
\ I'he long hot summer afternoon was drowsy with
qu
The Verb Phrase
yet?
2. Number from 1-10 in a column on your
prrpcr. Find the verb in each of the following sentences, and
N,rile it after the proper number on your paper. If you find
rr rcrb phrase, be sure to include all the helping verbs.
sun and
iet.
i' I istlessly, he lifted both lenses to the steeple.
/ Within seconds, he gasped with astonishment.
I ln the nearer lens of the telescope, the steeple
')
l(t
had miracuIrrrsly grown in size.
lhis little incident may never have occurred.
Ncvertheless, legend gives this account of the discovery of
rhc tclescope.
lsimple predicate: I.1,r d/-
rivetl)
The new stadium will certainly contain many more
rhe Simple Sublect and the Complete Sublect
seats. [simple predicate: will tttntain]
srrbiect of a sentence is that part about which someng is being said. This part is properly called the complete
,/i /,1i.( L Within the complete subject there is always a word
(,,r 1rr()up of words) which is the "heart" of the subject, and
tlrrr principal word within the complete subject is called the
\u)tt'l( \ubiK t.
llrt
In the following sentences, the verb is underscored; the
complete predicate is in bold-faced type. Study the sentences carefully so that you will be able to pick out the verb
in the senlences in the next exercise.
The coach posted the names of the basketball players on
the
rlr
r
bulletin board.
He had selected the players very carefully.
t,tl. fhe !;inryle subject is the main wotd or group of
Everybody rushed to read the notice.
r
Peter was biting his nails from nervousness.
w(,rds in the complete subiect.
,^M|LE The cost of paper has increased. [complete
lhc (ost oJ'pdper: simple subject: r'osll
subject:
32 < The Sentence
In
Subiecl and Predlcaie
naming the simple subject, consider compound nouns
as one word-
How to Find the subject ot a sentence
Because the subject may appear at almost any point in the
senlence, you will find
1.
ppeared to human eyes.
EXERCISE
l. A
year later in Venice, Galileo heard of the curious story of
the Dutchman's experience with the lenses.
2. Soon afterward Galileo hurried home to padua.
3. He set a convex lens in one end of a tead tube and a concave
lens in the other end.
4. The primitive telescope focused clearly only on objects a certain distance away.
Follow the directions for Exercise
3.
the Chincse experience in America has been
lilten by Victor G. Nee and Brett de Bary Nee.
'I'he title of the book is Longtime Califirn': A Do<-umentary
Strd,- of on Ameican Chinalos'n.
I he book traces the history of Chinese immigration and the
w
I
I
\
I'
'
Number your paper l-10. Find the subject
and verb of each sentence, and write them down, subJect
first, then verb, afler the proper number on you. pup".. iJr_
derline the subject once and the verb twice.
4.
I A book about
The leaders of the troops were carefully chosen.
The verb is were chosen. Now ask yourself, ..Who or what
were chosen?" Your answer is leaders; hence leaders is the
subject. In the sentence lnto the house rushed the dog lhe
verb is rushed. Ask yourself, "Who or what rushed?" your
answer is dog; therefore dog is the subject.
3.
(ialileo quickly taught himself the an of lens-grinding.
He soon scanned the skies with an effcient telescope.
Wilh Padua beneath him, he turned the telescope on Jupiter.
lr) l-'or the first time, the four large moons around the planet
.l
EXERCISE
difer-
l(.
it easier to locate lhe subject if you
pick out the verb first. For iDstance:
l-he distance between the lenses had to be changed for
cnl dislances.
EXAMPLE The Taj Mahal
in lndia is one of the most beautiful
world. lcomplete subject: Ire I.U
Mahal in India:simple subject: Taj Mahall
Throughout the rest of this book unless otherwise in_
dicated, the word, subject will mean .,the simple subject."
Caution: Remember lhat noun and subject do not mean
the same thing. A roan is the name ofa person, place, thing,
or idea. A subject is the name ofa part ofa sentence: it is
usually a noun or pronoun.
33
5. Those nearer or farther away would blur.
a)
buildings in the
>
s
')
tlevelopment of the Chinese-American community.
I hc first immigrants came for jobs in the gold mines and on
the railroads in the 1850 s.
ln the beginning only men could imrnigrate.
ln lime the early immigrants sent to China for their wives.
I)uring the 1920 s the cohesive family society of Chinatown
tll:vtloPed.
lnlcrviews of old and young residents of today's Chinatown
givc the book its immediate and authentic character.
A grxrd example of this technique is the interview with Lisa
Mah aboul her return to Chinatown after her family's
de-
Iir tl u re.
l() Ihc spirit
I XERCISE
\ller
of the Chinatown communily is subtly captured.
5. Add predicates to the subjects listed below.
yoLr have done so, underline the simple subject once
.rrrrl thc verb twice.
I lhc\c days
' ..\ \in8lc red rose
I Nly hcst friend
I Nlr'\t xrhletes with ability
, lhr sludents in my class
6. The
ocean
7. Life in the city
8. The strange monster
9. The climate in our region
lO. The best possible time
34 < The Senlence
The Subiect in an Unusual Position
There are two kinds of sentences which may at first confuse
you when you wish to find the verb and its subject. These
are (l) sentences that begin with the words there or here,
and (2) sentences that ask a question.
irnd write them after the proper number on your paper'
Select the verb first. Be sure to write down all parts of a
verb phrase.
'Jhere were three questions on the final exam'
Here is my lopic for the term Papcr.
what did you choose for a toPic?
will everyone be readY on time?
Sentences B€inning with There o( Here
When the word there or
sentence,
it
There will be no excuse for lateness.
When should we go to the library?
'l'here were very few books on the subject.
Are there any magazine articles about the bald eagle?
Where will our conference be held?
Have you begun the next chapter?
iele
comes at the beginning of a
may appear to be the subject, but it is not. Use
the "who or whar" formula to find the subject. This will
prevent you from mistaking here and lhere for the subject.
EXAMPLE There are many trees in the
yard.
[What are'! Trees.)
Sentences That Ask Ouestions
Questions usually begin with a verb or a verb helper. Also
they frequently begin with words like x'hat, vhen, *'here,
how, v'hy, etc. Either way, the subject usually follows the
verb or verb helper.
EXAMPLES Why are you leaving?
Will
she visit soon?
Sentences in Which the Subiect ls Understood
Irr rcquests and commands the subject is usually left out
ril lhe sentence. The subject of a command or request is
r,,rr (understood but not expressed).
r
xAMPLES Close the door.
Take this to the ofice'
ln these sentences the verbs are t /osc and 1d'ke In both
In questions that begin with
a helping verb, the subject
always comes between the helping verb and the main verb.
Another way to find the subject is to turn the question into
a statement, find the verb, and ask "Who?" or "What?" in
front of it.
EXAMPLES Question: Were your friends early l
Slatefient: Your friends were early.
[Who were eatly? Friends]
SrbJ"ctr Friends
Question: Has the dog been fed?
Statement:'lhe dog has been fed.
lWhat has been fed? Do,(,]
Subjett: Dog
EXERCISE
6.
Number 1-10 in a column. Select the verb
and the simple subject in each of the following sentences.
\( rlcnces the subject is the same. Who must close and tuke?
lhc subject is yoa, even though the word does not appear
eitheiof the sentences. A subject of this kind is said to be
'rr
Compound Subiecls and Verbs
2e- fwo or more subiects connected by und or or and
lf .rving lhe same verb are called a compound subjecl'
r x^MpLE Mr. Holmes and his friends went on a fishing trip
Iverb: lrenl, compound subject: Mr' Holmes (and)
lriends)
21. two or more velbs ioined by a connecting word and
lr.'ving the same subiecl are called a tompound rerb'
36 < The Sontencg
l. pallons
EXAMPLES On our last
trip to Europe, we sailed on a freighter
and saved a great deal of money. [compound verb:
sailed (and).raled,. subject: ,i,e I
2. My niece and nephew will arrive early in August
I
2. niece,
and stay for three weeks.
have cut the grass and clipped the hedges. [The
subject is /,. the compound verb is ior.e c ut (andl hat e
(lipped. Notice that the helping verb ,/rdve goes with
both cut and tlipped.l
l.
A prepositional phrase is a group of words which begins
with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun:
around the house, of us. Finding the subject when it is fol_
lowed by a phrase may be difficult.
EXAMPLE One of my relatives has taken a trip to Europe.
You see at once that the verb is has tqken. When you ask
"Who has taken?" you may be tempted to answer r€l(rryes.
However, thal is not what the sentence says. The sentence
says, "One of my relatives has taken a lrip to Europe. The
subject is One. Nolice lhat relutives is part of the phrase
of my relatives. In many sentences you can easily isolate
the subject and verb simply by crossing out all prepositional
phrases,
l,YidrtHticrs will leave Hlie#Se__irl
rnimtcs: lvetlc: vill |eaye; subject:6rrsI
EXAMPLE The bus
fhrse
EXERCISE 7. Write two sentences containing an understood subject, two containing a compound subject, two containing a compound verb, two in which the subject follows
the verb, and two in which the subject is followed bv
prepositional phrase.
theses around it.
l.
Fonunately, lhere are two gallons of ice cream in
the freezer-
Jackets and ties are required in the dining room.
Are there bears living in these woods?
1. There are five new students in our class this semester.
.1. Bring both a pencil and a pen to the exam on Thursday.
5. Frank neither sings nor plays an instrument.
6. Where do you and Liz buy your
cassettes?
7. Both ofthe math problems were difficult.
t{. Play ball!
',. There is much wisdom in folk sayings and proverbs.
lo. Is one of the kittens sick?
FRAGMENTS
Yorr have learned that a sentence contains a verb and its
srrhject. However, not all groups of words containing a subi(cl and verb are sentences. Some do not express a coml)lcle thought. For example, When she lval Ji.rre?n contains
;r vcrb and its subject-the verb is was, the subject is rllc.
l'cl the group of words is not a sentence because it does not
( \press a complete thought. lt suggests that more is to be
rrirl. lt is a fragment, a part of a longer sentence.
a
EXERCISE 8. Number your paper l- 10. Write the subject and the verb of each sentence. lf the subject of the sen_
tence is understood, write yoa as the subject, placing paren_
EXAMPLES
nephew vill arrive, xill stul'
3. Lend me your notebook.
3. (,r'oa) lend
l.
29. The subject is never in a prepositional phrase.
are
She passed her driving test when she was sixteen.
N
ow you have a sentence. The thought has been completed.
I XERCISE 9. Number your paper l-20. If a word group
r\ ir sentence, put an S beside the proper number on your
1,rrpcr. If it is not a sentence, write an F for fragment. Ask
yorrrself whether the group of words has a verb and a sub;r't t and whether it expresses a complete thought.
..lfurl[!r
38
<
The Senlence
l. Jessamyn West was born in Indiana ofQuaker parents
2. Educated in Califomia
3. Her writing and career interest me
4. Because I have gone to school in California and have lived
most of my life there
5. After graduating from Whittier College
6. And after continuing her studies in England
7. She attended the University of California
8. I know that she has been a teacher and a lecturer
9. Her writing has appeared in many periodicals
10. Including the New Yorker and the
A
antic Monthly
l. If you are a short story fan
12. You should get one of her exciting collections and read it
13. In the story which I have just read
14. The main character is a young girl
15. She sits and sews and listens to the story ofa stranger
16. With whom she silently falls in love
17. He tells a story of his own lost love
18. Filled with mystery, romance, realistic detail. and a pervasive shadow of tragedy and unfulfillment
19. Of all the stories so far this is my favorite
20. Jessamyn West's short stories range broadly from past to
present, and her characters represent a sweep of personalities
I
THE SENTENCE BASE
Every sentence has a base. The base may be compared to
the foundation of a building. It is the part upon which all
other parts rest. The sentence base is composed usually of
two parts: the subject and the verb.
EXAMPLES A cloud ofsmoke appeared. [base: cloud appearcdl
Our plans for the trip were discussed. [base: plan.r
were discussed)
In these examples, the sentence base consists of only a
subject and verb. In many sentences, however, something
else is required in the predicate to complete the meaning of
the subject and Yerb. This third element is a complement
(a completer).
COMPLEMENTS
2h. A complemen, is a word or group oI words which
completes the meaning begun by the subiecl and verb'
'fhe following example will show you how the complement
does this.
SVC
The drought ruined the crops.
"The drought ruined" would not be a complete statement by itself, even though it contains a subject and a verb'
"The drought ruined whdt?" a reader would ask. The word
( ropJ completes the meaning of the sentence by telling
r|lnt the drought ruined. Study the following sentences, in
which subjects, verbs, and complements are labeled' Name
the part of speech of each complement.
svc
Mrs. Hill is our new senator.
SVC
She is very tall.
Our science teaSher perfJrmed u,
rne
moson i", u
,","iti,"
"*p"rit "n,.
of the earth.
SVC
The ground feels drY.
Both rism and G"3re" uppJur"o
q,it"
"onfitd"nt'
10. Construct sentences from the following
\cntence bases. Do not be satisfied with adding only one or
two words. Make interesting sentences.
EXERCISE
SUAJECT
r srudent
, rcmarks
VERB
COMPLEMENT
left
room
clever
were
< fh!
40
SUBJECT
VEBS
passed
3. center
4. chemical was identified
5. child
looked
6. repon
was
7. shins
were
8. bells
rang
9. teacher helped
10.
library
> [oTE
Complomenl8
Sgntsncs
fumishes
l.
bdl
unhappy
short
wann
continually.
14. Farther southward, heavy rains would change the deserts'
15. The Sahara and Gobi deserts would become vast, rich grass-
student
information
Like the subject ofa sentence, a complement is never
I intercepted one of the passes. [The complement is oze, not
passes; posses is in a prepositional phrase.l
An adverb modifying a verb is not a complement. Complements may be nouns, pronouns, or adjectives.
Bess studies tard. lHard, an adverb, is not a complementJ
Tfiat noise is mystcrlous. IMysterious, an adjective, is a complementJ
EXERCISE 11. Number your paper l-20 in a column.
For each of the following sentences, list the subject and
verb. If there is a complement, list it after the verb.
l. Every year the Arctic Ocean conlains more open water.
2. Melting ice will raise the level of the oceans.
3. Thc sea could invade coasdands and could submerge islands.
4. Millions of people in the Temperate Zone would fear the
approach of winter.
5. Outside, the wind would moan ceaselessly throughout the
short days.
6. Great qua[tities of moisture would evaporate from the icefree waters of the Arctic Ocean,
7. This moisturc would condense and would fall on the continents as snow,
t-
The warmth of the short, cool summers would not melt the
hugc drifts of wintcr.
9. Autumn would bring new and more terrible blizzards,
A
4l
Their own weight would set the glaciers in motion southward.
12. These masses of ice would create vast lakes'
13. Along the forefront of these glaciers, blizzards would rage
COMPLEMENT
in a prepositional phrase.
10.
>
thousand years of storms would create mountains of ice.
I
lands.
16. Enormous herds of antelope would darken the grasslands.
17. Sheets of ice might cover most of North America.
18. The refreezing ofthe Arctic Ocean would probably bring the
cycle to a halt.
19. Once again, the seas would grow warmer.
20. At last the great storms would slacken and would then stop
altogethcr.
The Sublec't Complement
2i. A subject complen,ent is a noun, pronoun, or ad'
iective that lollows a linking verb. lt identifies, describes, or explains the subiect.
EXAMPLES Michael is an eagle scout.
Susan grew weary.
In the first example, scozt identifies the subject Micrraer. In
the second, lreary describes the subject Susar,.
There are two kinds of subject complements. If the subject complement is a noun or a pronoun, it is a prcdicale
nominative. If it is an adjective, it k a predicate adiective.
Predicate nominatives (nouns and pronouns) explain the
subject or give another name for the subject. Predicate adjectives describe the subject. Both predicate nominatives
and predicate adjectives are linked to the subject by linking
verbs. The common linking verbs are be, become, feel,
smell, tasle, look, grow, seem, appear, remain, sound,
EXAMPLES The acorn becomes an
oak.
slqt.l
[predicate nominative]
rThe forms of be arc ofi, is, arc, was, w€re, and verb phrases ending in
be or been: can be, hos been, etc.
42
<
Complcmcnit
Thr Srnl9nca
The flowcr appesrs rrd but is actually
icate adjcctivesl
porpl€.
[pred-
EXEBCISE 12 Number your paper l-10. Select the subject complement from each of the following sentences, and
write it after the coresponding number on your paper.
(First find the verb and its subject, then the complement.)
After each complement, write what kind it is: predicate
nominative or predicate adjective.
l.
The last scene of the play is very tensc.
2. Thc two small birds are finchcs.
3. The music sounded lively.
4. This costume looks elegant.
5. My goldfish is growing largcr every day.
@ ara.c"'s report
7.
8.
9.
10.
on digital recording is a detailed one.
The setting of the story is en old castlc.
Your solution to this algcbra problem is clever.
We felt full aftcr our huge dinner.
His cntire story scems almost unbelievable.
a3
When this happens, you must consider which word is
more likely to be the subject of the sentence. Usually
the subject will be the word that specifically identifies the
person or thing that the sentence is about. The first example
above presents little difficulty because srpeet is an adjective
and cannot be the subject. In the second example, however,
both the subject complement (athlete) and the subject
(Ray) are nouns. In this case you must ask yourself which
noun more specifically identifies the subject. Ray has a
more specific meaning than orrlrere, and consequently it is a
more likely subject for the sentence.
EXERCISE
13. Copy the following sentences, and pick
out the subject, the verb, and the subject complement. Label
the subject of the sentence S, the verb I/, and the subject
complement C.
l.
Were my directions clear?
2. How soft the night air secms.
l.
Harriet Tubman was a woman of magnificent courage.
4. "Tiger of the Snows" is a wonderful story.
5. Does he appear sad?
6. what a fine danccr Sally is!
7. What a giant Joc has becomc!
It. How happy they look!
9. When do€s a child become an adult?
Dbilngulshlng Betrreen Suuect and Complement
When thc subject is not in the normal position before the
verb, it is sometimes hard to tell which is the subject and
which is the complement. When the word order is normal,
there is no problem-the subject comes before the verb
and the subject complement comes after:
>
10. Sleep is a gentle thing.
svc
Matthew Henson was a famous explorer.
When the word order is reversed, as in questions, the
subject still comes before the subject complement in most
cases:
vsc
Was he the leader of the expcdition?
Sometimes, however, a writer or speaker may put the
subject complement first for emphasis:
cvs
How sweet is frccdom!
csv
What a fine athl€tc Ray is!
Olrect Oblects and lndirsc.t Ot iect3
l here is another kind
of complement that does not refer
ro the subject. Instead, it receives the action of the verb or
shows the result of the action.
r
xaupLE The secretary typed the report' baset secretary
typed reportl
In sentences of this kind, the complement is called the
rlirrct object.
21. The direct obiect is a word or group of words that
(lireclly receives the action expre3Sed by lhe vetb ol
44 < Th9 Sonlencq
complements
shows ihe resull ol the action. lt answers the question
"What?" or "Whom?" alter an action verb.
svDo
EXAMPLES The dentist cleaned my teeth.
SVDO
She 6lled a small cavity.
sentence, teeth is the direct object. It directly
receives the action expressed by the verb. It answers the
question "What?" after the verb. Cleaned what? Cleaned
,eerrr. In the second sentence, caviry is the direct object, telling what the dentist filled.
EXERCISE '14. List the direct objects on your paper. Be
able to name the verb whose action the object receives.
Caution: Like all complements, the object of a verb is
never part of a prepositional phrase.
l.
I borrowed my parents'new camera recently.
2. First I loaded the fiIm into the camera.
3. Then I set the opening ofthe shutter.
4. I focused the cam€ra on a distant object.
5. I could read the shutter speed in the viewfinder.
6. A flashing red light means an incorrect setting.
7. Slowly and carefully I pressed the button.
8. I then moved the film forward for the next shot.
9. By the end of the day, I had soapped thirty-six pictures.
10. Unfortunately the film processor lost my roll of film.
2k. An indirect object is a noun or pronoun in the predicate that precedes the direct oblect. lt tells "to whom"
or "lor whom" the action ot lhe verb is done.
EXAMPLES The ilstructor gave some lessons.
The instructor gave me some lessons.
45
You recognize /essons as the direct object in both sentences. It tells what the instructor gave. In the second sentence you have another word which also receives the action
of the verb. That word is me. Me, which comes before the
direct object, tells to whom the lessons were given. It is an
indirect object.
What is the indirect object in this sentence?
In the first
Objects are used after action verbs only. Verbs like
think, believe, imagine, which express mental action, are
action verbs just as truly as are verbs like iump, hit, or
knock, which express physical action.
>
Experience taught the campers many things.
Things is the direct object. Campers is the indirect object. It is the campers to whom things were taught.
If the words to and for are used in the sentence itself,
the word following them is part of a prepositional phrase
and not an indirect object. Compare the following pairs.
Robert baked me a cake. [Me is the indirect object.l
Robert baked a cake for me. [no indirect object]
The teacher told the class a story. lcrar$ is the indirect ob-
ject.]
The teacher told a story to the
class.
[no i[direct object]
(ulion: When identifying complements, do not be conlirsed by adverbs in the predicate.
(
We went home. [noun used as adverb telling reiere ]
We built a new home. ldirect object]
Compound Comdements
('omplements may be compound.
r
xAMpLEs The names of the dogs are Gr?sy and Boots. [compound predicate nominativel
She is tall and slim. [compound predicate adjective]
The next group includes the collies and the terriers.
lcompound direct objectl
The noise had given my brother and me a scare.
lcompound indirect objectl
LXERCISE 15. Number your paper l-10. After the proper
rrrnrber, write the objects in each sentence. Write i.o. after
46 < The Senlance
an indirect object and d.o. after a direct object. Not all sentences contain both kinds of objects.
l.
Last fall George told us his plans for the summer.
2. He wanted ajob at a camp.
3. We gave him the name of a camp near Tupper Lake.
4. We also gave him all kinds of advice,
5. George wrote the manager a letter.
6, The letter of application cost him a great deal of effort.
7. Usually camps need many counselors for the summer.
8. Most camps do not pay their counselors much money.
9. A job as counselor does provide a free home for two months.
10. The manager offered Ceorge a position.
EXERCISE
16. Write one sentence containing a com-
pound subject, one containing a compound verb, two containing a compound predicate nominative, two containing
a compound predicate adjective, two containing a com-
pound direct object, and two containing a compound
indirect object.
Sgntences Classllied by Pu.pose
>
47
(2) A sontence whlch gives a command or makes a requesl
is an imperatioe Sentence,
EXAMPLES Tell the truth.
Please, keep off the grass.
(3) A sentence which asks
senience.
a questlon b an interrugatioe
An interrogative sentence is followed by a question mark.
EXAMPLES Can you speak Spanish?
Where are you going?
(4) A sentence which expressos slrong leellng is an ertlamatorv sentence.
An €xclamatory sentence is followed by an exclamation
mark.
ExAMpLEs What a beautiful day this is!
How we love cool, sunny weather!
( (ulion: A declarative,
an imperative, or an interrogative
scntence may be spoken in such a way that it will be exeltmatory. Then it should be followed by an exclamation
rnark.
SENTENCES CLASSIFIED BY PURPOSE
21.
HI
r
xAMpLEs That noise must
clamatory.l
Sentences may be classilied according to theil
Use the brakes
purPose.
!
What do you
stop!
[Declamtive becomes ex-
[Imperative becomes exclamatory.]
[nterrogative becomes ex-
wantl
clamatory.l
There are four kinds of sentences: (l) declarative, (2) imperative, (3) interrogative, and (4) exclamatory.
(1)
A sentence which males a slalement is a declarative
sentence.
Its purpose is to declare something. Most of the sentences
you use are declarative.
EXAMPLES As far as I'm concemed. a house can't be built with
with too many closets.
ln the summer I am constantly fighting crabgrass and
cutworms.
17. Classify the sentences below according to
ulrelher they are declarative. imperative. interrogative, or
( \elamatory. Write the proper classification after the numI't r of each sentence.
I lhe loudspeakers in our living room are small yet powert XERCISE
.'
t
,l
lirl.
'l urn down the sound!
lr that music or static, Joyce?
l.istening to loud music every day can damage one's hearin8.
48
<
The Sehtence
Oiagramlng Senlencea
5. How many watts does your amplifier produce?
6. Sound levels are measured in units called decibels.
7. Do you know that an increase of ten decibels represents
EXAMPLE
>
49
Ring the bell.
a
tenfold increase in the sound level?
8. Do not blast your sound system.
9. Keep it quiet!
10. Music played softly is relaxing.
Diagraming Modifiers
Modifiers of the subject and verb (adjectives and adverbs)
are written on slanting lines beneath the subject or the verb.
EXAMPLE The angry customer suddenly walked away.
OIAGRAMING SENTENCES
Many students find that they can understand sentence
structure better when they draw a diagram. A diagram is a
way of arranging a sentence in picture form. The picture
shows clearly how the various parts of the sentence fit together and how lhey are related.
The first thing to do in making a diagram is to draw a
horizontal line on your paper. On this horizontal line you
will write the sentence base. In approximately the center of
the line you will draw a short verlical line cutting the horizontal one. This vertical line is the dividing poinl between
the complete subject and the complete predicate. The subject and all words relating to it (complete subject) go to the
1el of this vertical line; the verb and all words relaring to it
(the complete predicate) go to the rigir.
Diagraming Compound Subiects and Compound Verbs
lf the subject is compound, diagram it as in the following
cxample. Notice the position of the coordinating conjunction on the broken line.
r xaMpLE Theresa and Marlene are swimming.
Th€r€sa
Martene
Diagraming the Subiect and Verb
The subject of the sentence is written first on the horizontal
line. The verb is written on the second half of this line.
For an understood subject, use the word
theses as the subject in your diagram.
yol in
paren-
ll
r
-lN
r
I
6 )---1-I
lhe verb is compound, diagram
are s*immins
I
it in this
way:
x^MPLE Bill runs and hides,
ll
lhc sentence has both a compound subject and a com1','unrl predicate. diagram it in this way:
50
<
The Sentence
Diag.amlng Sentences
EXAMPLE He and I live and lesrn'
>
51
There they are.
He
they |
learn
Notice how a compound verb is diagramed when the helping verb is not repeated:
--_r--\-_|
Here come the alligators
"t"
\?"
!
EXAMPLE Sue was reading and studying.
reading
Diagraming There When lt Does Not Modify Anything
Since rvas is the helping verb for bolb reading and studying,
is placed on the horizontal line, and the conjunction azd
joins the main verbs reading and studying.
When the parts of a compound subject or a compound
predicate are joined by correlative conjunctions, diagram
the sentence in this way:
it
When there begins a sentence but does not modify either
lhe verb or the subject, it is diagramed on a line by itself,
rs in the following example. When used in this way, there
is called an expletive.
EXAMPLE There were two candidates.
EXAMPLE Either Mary or Sue will not only compete but also win.
Mary
compete
Oiagraming Here, fhere, and Wherc as Modifiers
Diagraming a Modifier ot a Modifier
When the words here, there, and' where ate modifiers of
the verb, diagram them as in the following illustrations.
A word which modifies another modifier is diagramed like
Where are you going?
llry in the following example.
They played very well.
52
<
Tho Senterca
EXERCISE 18. Diagram
Oiagramlng Sentences
the following sentences. Dia-
grams ofthe first five are provided for you to copy and fill in.
l.
Sound travels very rapidly.
>
53
9. Where is my new hat?
10. An unusually heavy rain fell today.
ll. Alan often comes here12. The cadets marched along smartly.
13. The heavy jacket was torn apart.
14. lhere ar€ no amateurs here.
l-5. I stepped back and fell down.
2. A plane circled low.
16. Where does she usually go?
17. Does the express train still stop here?
I li. Forward march!
19. Margaret sings very well and dances beautifully.
10. The old man and his daughter were born and mised here.
3. The plane rose quickly and flew silently away.
Diagraming the Predicate Nominative
and the Predicate Adieclive
A subject complement (predicate nominative or predicate
:rrliective) should be placed on the same horizontal line with
thc simple subject and the verb. It comes after the verb,
a line slanting toward the subject and drawn upward
llorrr lhe horizontal line separates it from the verb. The
lllrc slants toward the subject to show that the subject
, orrplement is closely related to the subject.
;rrrtl
There was a loud scream.
|llr
orCATE
|rr
llrCATE ADJECTtvE Our dog is fat.
NoMtNATtvE Our dog is a fat bulldog.
5- Never eat too fast.
6. The team practices daily.
7. Our new members play quite professionally.
8. The small white dog ran away yesterday.
I xl RC|SE.l9. Diagram the following sentences.
54
<
The Sentence
EXERCISE
l.
Some old books are very valuable2. Does the recording sound scratchy?
3. That might have been her fastest race.
4. Hockey is my favorite sport.
5. Some people are always cheerful.
6. Are you our new teacher?
7. Drivers should be more careful.
8. Charles has grown careless lately.
9. This sweater is too large.
20.
Diagram the following sentences.
The nights were long and cold.
The stars looked exceptionally bright.
The cold weather froze the pond.
My friends and I usually enjoy wint€r sports.
My parents recently gave me some figure skates.
1.
A. Before you continue your study of
parts
lhe
of a sentence, you should review what you have
lcarned so far. Be sure that you understand everything you
have covered because you will be building constantly upon
what you havejust learned. Can you give in your own words
l definition of each of the following and make up an exitmple to illustrate it?
REVIEW EXEFCISE
10. Beggars can not be choosers.
Diagraming the Direct and lndirect Obiect
The direct object is diagramed in almost the same way as
the predicate nominative. The only diflerence is that the
line separating the object from the verb is vertical (not
slanting) as in the following examples:
A s€ntence
A complete subject
A complete predicate
A subject (simple)
A subject complement
May joined the team.
6.
7.
8.
9.
I0.
A verb (simple predicate)
A verb phrase
A direct object
An understood subject
AD indirect object
IIEVIEW EXERCISE B. Number l-15 in a column on your
paper. Select from each of the following sentences the subicct and the verb, and write them after the proper number on
We heard boos and
hisses.
boos
welnearolrr'T,
Trro.
t
\-i:-"
The indirect object is diagramed on a horizontal line
beneath the verb. A slanting line connects the horizontal
line and the verb. Notice how the slanting line extends
vour paper. Be especially careful to include'all parts of
vcrb phrase.
I. How would you like a ticket to the dog show ?
t. There will be a number of fine dogs there.
l All of the dogs have been washed and brushed
a
by their
owners.
Are there many of these shows each year?
There must have been hundreds ofchampion dogs at Madison
slightly below the horizontal line.
Square Carden.
A young handler in a blue apron stopped work and answered
a few of our questions.
Everybody promised her a surprise
L
I
All training and teaching should be done by word and by
lhe lone of your voice.
Never smack a dog or hurt it in any way.
56
<
9. The tone of your voice will convey your feelings,
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Oiagraming Senlences
The Sentence
A few hours of training may well be worthwhile.
Where will Larry and I find the collies?
Do you see them over there?
Look at these short little dogs.
What do you call them?
Tell me the Chinese legend about the origin ofthe Pekingese.
REVIEW EXERCISE C. Copy the numbered underlined
words in a column on your paper. After each, write the
correct one of the following identincations, using these
abbreviations: subject, s.,' verb, v.,' predicate adjective,
p.a.; predicate nominative, p.n.; direct object, d.o.,' indirect object, i.o.,' object of a preposition, o.p.
Did you ever wonder about the (l) pyramids of Egypt? How
could an ancient (2) race, even with 100,000 workers, build such
enormous (3) monuments? Almost every visitor (4) makes a trip
out into the desert to see the massive tombs. They appear
(5) majestic from a distance. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is
(6) one of the wonders of the ancient world. (7) It was once
encased with blocks of polished (8) limestone. However, weather
and thievery (9) have combined to destroy its original casing. The
pyramids (10) look (l l) weather-beaten. Still, they are impressive
(12) sights.
Invading Arabs about A.D. 650 needed (13) {qqg for the
palaces and mosques in Cairo. Naturally it was (14) easier for
them to obtain blocks of stone from the pyramids than to cut
new ones from the (15) quarries. They removed the outer limestone blocks, but the two-ton (16) blocks at the bases of the
pyramids were too (17) heavy. The task became (18) inpossible.
There was no (19) \ryay of leveling the pyramids to the ground.
One Arab ruler decidcd to rob the tomb of Khufu. This ruler
was (20) one of many people who believed there were vast
treasures hidden in the Great Pyramid. With hundreds of workers
at his disposal, he gave the (21) men his (22) instructions. The
workers (23) hacked through the solid blocks of granite. The
stone was (24) hard; their chisels \rere (25) poor. By accident,
they suddeoly (26) broke into a tunnel. Imagine the (27) excitement! All too soon they (28) discovered an enormous (29) plug
>
57
of granite blocking their way, They cut a
passage around the
plug and soon reached the inner (30) chamber.
strangely enough, there was no (31) gold. No vast treasures
(32) sparkled under the light of the torches. Probably the tomb
had been robbed many centuries earlier by (33) Egyptians
lirmiliar with its secret entmnceways.